SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Figuratively speaking, the path to the Geyser Road Trail has been long and the city has still not reached its destination.

However, Mayor Scott Johnson said plans for the trail are moving forward, one step at a time.

Requests for proposals are expected to go out within the next two weeks to design the long-discussed trail and make it shovel-ready this year.

"It's been going on long enough," Johnson said Friday. "This has been discussed since before I took office."

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In fact, Saratoga Springs Supervisor Matthew Veitch, who lives in Geyser Crest along with nearly a fifth of the city's population, said he has been working on making the trail a reality for more than a decade.

The multi-use path will take people from the Milton town line to Route 50, past Geyser Road Elementary School. In front of the school, thanks to a Safe Routes to School grant, a signaled crosswalk will be installed. From there, the trail will run down the north side of the road to Route 50.

The current plan ends there, but future plans may include a path along the west side of Route 50 and across West Avenue to link Geyser Road Trail to Railroad Run. The final leg of Railroad Run will be paved next week by the city's Department of Public Works.

Public Works Commissioner Anthony "Skip" Scirocco said the connection through the woods of Railroad Run to Route 50 will be enhanced by the installation of another signaled crosswalk. That would link Railroad Run to the existing trail network in Saratoga Spa State Park.

"Eventually, these will all be connected," Scirocco said. "That's the plan."

This year's capital budget includes $150,000 for the trail. Originally, $200,000 was budgeted, but that figure was cut by Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan in her finalization of the budget.

Madigan put the funds on her City Council agenda last week and said there may be leftover money from other trail projects that could be used for Geyser Road Trail, if necessary.

At the City Council meeting, she said she had been approached by Geyser Crest residents inquiring about the status of the project. She said there was concern the city may be holding onto the funds currently allocated for the project until matching grant money can be secured.

Three Geyser Crest residents, including Wally Eaton, a member of the Southwest Neighborhood Association Trails Committee, attended the meeting.

"It doesn't make sense to wait," Eaton said Tuesday.

But on Friday, Johnson, who did not attend last week's City Council meeting, said waiting was never the plan. He said the most important thing to do now is prepare the design and get the project "shovel-ready" in case state or federal funding becomes available.

That's what happened with the Spring Run Trail, which was discussed for years and received grant money for construction because it was "shovel-ready" at the right time.

In fact, most people involved with the Geyser Road Trail project and at the City Council table are in agreement that the city should move forward with design as soon as possible.

Johnson said the $150,000 will likely be enough to get the project designed and ready to build. He expects the requests for proposals to be returned in June.